Attention ladies! Hear me when I tell you, that foundation garments are the most important garments you own. A good bra, body slimmer, or panty can make or break an outfit. They have that much effect on the fit of the rest of your clothing. Over the next few posts we will explore foundation garments and how to get what’s right for you.

First and foremost, get a good bra that fits your body. This is where your money is best spent; get at least 2 or 3 of the best you can afford. You will want some variation in style, so they don’t hit in all the same places, plus they need a day of rest between wear. Washing in lingerie bags does prolong life, so I recommend having a couple small ones available.

Shop at a store that has bra fitters, whether you end up buying there or not. Any experienced fitter will tell you that most women do not have a well-fitting bra. They will be happy to teach you what to look for in fit. Now, be prepared for them to try to up-sell you on a more expensive bra; it’s their job. Try on many brands, sizes and styles. Odds are you will be able to find a good fit in more than one brand. Be honest with your fitter. They need to know what your price range is today, but that you also want to know what would work for you in the next price range, for later.

Many of my clients have been simply amazed at what a difference a new and better fitting bra makes to the clothes they try on. Notice, I mentioned new as important also, not just better fitting. Plan to replace your bras as they get stretched and worn. They will lose elasticity and will not provide the same lift over time. If your budget is tight, watch for sales on your preferred brand, and get one or two when the price is right. If you do this before they are completely worn, it will be less painful to retire one and move a new one into your rotation.

You need to buy it anyway; why not buy something that fits and flatters.

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I, for one, have always struggled with the concept of a suit as separates. As a matchy-matchy person, I could never mix my suit components. Wearing a full suit almost daily, keeping the pieces together for even wear was a valid reason (that also reinforced my beliefs). However, most of us don’t work in a strict suit environment any more, and I have seen the light.

In my recent time as a volunteer personal shopper at the Ready for Success Program*, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a number of clients for whom suit-as-separates was necessary. More than once I have seen a ‘busy’ suit treated as separates, and witnessed the pieces come alive much better than as a set. As separates, patterned pieces can go with solids, sweaters can be introduced, and much more use can be gained from each piece.

Designers have started to ‘wise up’ as well. In a recent Macy’s ad, there were numerous designer suit separates advertised (and on sale even!) I have long kept an eye out for suit separates, even when I matched jackets and bottoms – I usually have a 2-size difference and would much prefer not to have to alter my pants so dramatically. I have found this to be a common challenge for most women. Separates are the answer – much like the way men’s suits have been sold forever.

So let’s take away the bad rap that suits have gotten, and look at them as separate professional pieces, even if they come purchased as a set sometimes. Options abound when we open up to the possibilities.

* http://readyforsuccessmn.org/

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The night air is brisk … the days are comfortable as they peak 20 degrees cooler than last month … Fall is definitely in the air. Now is a great time get your wardrobe ready for those cooler months. You will have flattering clothes to wear each day, helping you to feel good about how you present yourself. All it takes is three simple steps:

Sort your cool weather clothes. Be sure to try them on with a critical eye for their ability to enhance your figure, and flatter your coloring. If an item doesn’t ‘pop’ and make you feel good about how you look, determine why not. If the cut or color is just not flattering – put it in the donate pile; those things will not change. We all make clothing purchase errors, just get past it and donate to someone else who could benefit. If you just need a slight alteration to have an item flatter better, put it in the ‘tailor’ pile, and take your tailor now, to have it ready to wear as soon as possible. If items fit and are not outdated, put them in the keep pile; outdated clothing should be donated.

Find out what’s missing. Review your ‘keeper’ items for incomplete outfits. Consider garments that are just a one-off, or jackets with no (or just 1) complementary shirt. These are wardrobe gaps, and a key place to start when expanding your Fall line-up. Simple, classic cut jackets and sweaters can accommodate a wide variety of shirts; this is where you can have fun with cut, color and pattern when building a wardrobe on a budget. If you have the basics and are a ‘jacket’ enthusiast like me – love having color and design details in your jacket – I recommend keeping the rest of your outfit super simple. Unless you are tall and thin, a monochromatic scheme under the jacket can be really helpful. Not only does the base layer allow the jacket to take center stage, it provides a continuous line, elongating and slimming your torso. If this is you, the clean simple base pieces are where you may find your gaps.

Start strategic shopping. Prioritizing wardrobe gaps first, since they will reap the biggest reward. Between the myriad retail sales and prevalence of consignment stores available, now is a great time to buy Fall and Winter clothing. Most of your cool, weather wardrobe should be able to be obtained at a pretty good price, especially now that we are in September. If basics are what you need, then start there, staying with clean lines and classic cuts to better leverage each piece. Trendy clothing comes and goes, so keep it to a minimum if you are on a tight budget.

Tip: Make use of wardrobe photos. It takes a little time up front, but taking pictures of your outfits can be VERY effective. They can help with daily clothing choices, strategic shopping, accessorizing… It is so easy to quickly see what you have and get a sense of what you need. You can just keep them in a folder in your phone photos.

Need help with any/all of the above, call me at 651-707-6053 and I can help.

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Pant fit has come a long way in recent years, but we still need some awareness in creating balance. As with our Capri discussion, we want to create a balanced whole. We will focus on fit here, but we need to remember that color is a key factor. If you waist down is disproportionately larger than above the waist, a darker color, or a distracting pattern is very helpful is minimizing that fact. Now onto fit tips:

Too much hips/thigh? Look for curvy fits that accommodate your proportions; many designers now offer curvy fits (Yay!). Try a mid-to low rise, slightly fitted or straight upper leg, with some flare at the bottom. A little stretch in the fabric helps smooth out small imperfections and helps prevent bagging, as does a slightly firmer fabric. Sorry – tapered or skinny legs (to the ankle) make hips look wider and do not balance your frame. Side pockets also add width at the wrong place. If you have short legs, opt for a refined heel (at least a couple inches), and go for longer pants using height as an offset to width.

Wish you had curvier hips? – look for regular or slim fitting styles to fit your overall body type. Narrow leg pants with a slight flare suggest curves and add balance without overwhelming slim legs. A large flare works if the pants are proportioned well and you have wider shoulder (back to that balance thing).

Have a bit of a stomach bulge, or more than you would like in the rear? We can talk about crunches all day long, and sure they would likely help. However, what is – IS – right now; and some of us will always have this tendency regardless of weight. So, let’s consider how best to de-emphasize our excess, and look our best now. To start: Stick with higher waist pants. They tend to get over the bulge, and many current styles have slimming panels built in. Waistbands that cross at your widest part, or are too tight in the waist, create an additional roll that draw attention to the very thing you want to minimize. So snug tummy panels – yay! Too tight waistband – nay! Tricky you say – I know – added options include firmware – more on this another day – or alterations (worth it for professional wardrobe). Look for pants that give shape – if they cover your stomach and leave a bunch of excess fabric drooping in the seat or upper thighs, leave them in the store. A little stretch in the fabric, or a slightly firmer fabric will help hug curves and smooth out bumps. As with most pants, a slight flare, or smooth palazzo pant (fluid drape) adds balance in the lower leg. Once again, if you are short in the leg, even a small heel with added pant length elongates and adds balance.

2 fashion trends that flatter almost no one: 1.) Front pleats (and excessive gathers) are not your friend– they add bulk that doesn’t help anyone. They emphasize, not de-emphasize. 2.) Skin-tight or fully tapered pant legs are rarely flattering. If you have wide hips, they just look wider – same with excess tummy or rear. If you are small, they frequently making you even skinnier (not the same as slimmer).

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We all have our wardrobe fitting challenges. We wish we had more of this and less of that. That just makes us normal people, who need to know what to look for when shopping for clothing.

The key to looking your best in your clothing, is to ensure that you have the best fit for YOUR body. Once you learn what cuts, styles, and designers fit you best, it will be so much easier. The overall goal is to create balance on your body, minimizing disproportionate areas.

We need to buy it anyway; why not buy something that fits and flatters.

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So, where do we start? Let’s start with appropriateness: Capris are increasingly common Summertime attire in business casual offices these days. As with so many things, there are more or less casual variations, based on fabric, length and embellishments. If it is not extremely common to wear them at your employer, I recommend … DON’T wear them at all. They are automatically more casual than long pants or a skirt. You do not want to be among the most casual person in the office, at least not if you have plans for advancement. On to fit: If you are like most of us, and want to look slimmer, look for a length that ends just below the knee (most casual length, so be careful) or close to the ankle. In both instances the hem bisects your lower leg at the narrowest places. If you have slim calves and want to add a little weight to them, have the hem land at the widest spot, to add some visual width.Remember balance: Tight and tapered does not flatter most any body, but especially those with proportionally larger bottoms (hips, thighs, butt). A slight flare or slightly less taper will often show (add) curves, while adding some balance to those curves. Also, let’s consider depth of color – to minimize your proportionally largest area (top or bottom), wear your darkest color there. Darker colors draw less attention – the eye will be drawn first to whichever clothing is the lightest color.